The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), Netherlands Gaming Authority, has completed research examining how licensed online gambling operators conduct risk assessments of their gaming offerings.
The study finds that the current regulatory framework for risk assessments is ineffective and does not meet its intended goals. It analyzed the methodologies used by online gambling operators to assess the risk levels of the games they provide.
When the Dutch online gambling market opened in October 2021, operators became subject to duty-of-care obligations designed to prevent gambling addiction. These requirements include mandatory risk assessments to determine how potentially harmful specific games may be, with operators expected to implement protective measures based on these evaluations.
The Gaming Authority examined the approaches used by licensed operators, including the external organizations conducting these assessments and the internal departments responsible for implementation.
The investigation identified five distinct methodologies currently in use across the industry. However, the research uncovered significant inconsistencies in outcomes, even when the same organization conducted multiple assessments or when identical games were evaluated across different operators.
The study indicates that these inconsistencies make meaningful comparisons across the industry challenging. It also found that operators generally perform risk assessments at the game category level rather than for individual games, which can lead to some titles being assigned inadequate risk ratings. Current regulations offer no specific guidance on this practice.
The findings indicate that operators invest considerable resources and costs in conducting these assessments while providing minimal additional player protection. The system appears to create an administrative burden without delivering proportional benefits in terms of harm prevention.
The inconsistent methodologies and outcomes have led the Gaming Authority to conclude that the current system requires reform. The organization has initiated discussions with the Ministry of Justice and Security regarding future improvements to establish a more standardized and effective approach to risk assessment procedures.
The Netherlands has recently renewed its Prevention of Gambling Addiction programme for five years with €21m, aiming to strengthen player protection and reduce gambling-related harm
